Work clearing unexploded munitions from areas of Fort Ord finished

Fort Ord Reuse Authority contractors have completed all of the known field work targeted in the Environmental Services Cooperative Agreement, the accord between FORA and the Army to clear unexploded munitions from 3,340 acres that will eventually be turned over to the county and surrounding jurisdictions.

Stan Cook, FORA's remediation manager, said the project now enters a minimum 160-day period of public comment and review by regulatory agencies, which could order more work done. Nevertheless, he said, it's an "extremely significant" milestone.

"It feels good to have it done," he said. "It means we will be focusing continuously on paperwork from now on unless regulators ask us to return to the field."

Cook said the moment is also bittersweet. Two weeks ago FORA released the contracted remediation workers with whom he's been working side by side, some since 2007 when the ESCA contract was signed.

"You miss the field guys," he said. "They're great guys, good sense of humor. They always provide you with a good reality check."

Because the targeted areas were small and close to high pressure gas lines, they could not be burned like the acreage the Army was clearing this week. Munitions were detected and removed mechanically and by hand under the supervision of FORA's biologist.

In addition to clearing unexploded ordnance, the crews germinated and planted native plants to restore habitat on thousands of acres.

The program has drawn controversy. In March 2012, Keep Fort Ord Wild filed a lawsuit seeking public records to account for the $100 million grant the Army awarded to FORA to complete the munitions remediation. FORA initially said many of the records did not exist or could not be released.

The agency eventually released records showing the grant purchased an insurance policy guaranteeing the project would be completed at the contracted cost. The policy holder, AIG, then used the funds to pay contractors, predominantly Arcadis, Weston Solutions and Westcliffe Engineers Inc. The lawsuit has since been settled.